Filipino Mongo Guisado is one of my favorite dishes because besides being gluten-free, this dish is hearty, flavorful, and mung beans are a good plant-based protein option. Here's 4 health benefits of mung beans. Here's a simple recipe if you'd like to make this dish at home. For now, I enjoy mom's cooking! Mongo Guisado is commonly served in Filipino restaurants as well.

A vegan version of this dish can be made but without the pork and fish sauce, this mung beans dish lose it's Asian flair and to me becomes a completely different dish.

Traditionally, Mongo Guisado is made with spinach and I've seen some Western versions using kale, but mom made this version using Bitter Melon leaves which I didn't know you could eat.

At one of our local farmer's markets, many of the vendors sell Asian produce and here is what Bitter Melon leaves look like stacked on a farmer's market table. I found a bundle that had a couple small melons on the leaves. See them? They look like lizard scaly pickles.

There are both health benefits and a few health precautions eating Bitter Melon leaves. Mom likes them because these leaves have health benefits for diabetics in helping to lower blood sugar. Bitter Melon leaves also have anti-cancer health benefits.

As far as taste goes, these leaves are bitter indeed. I'm indifferent about Bitter Melon leaves as they make a unique flavor twist on a dish, but the bitterness is definitely an acquired taste.

Have you tried Bitter Melon leaves? What's your experience, and what dish did you eat them in?

Comments

Filipino Mongo Guisado is one of my favorite dishes because besides being gluten-free, this dish is hearty, flavorful, and mung beans are a good plant-based protein option. Here's 4 health benefits of mung beans. Here's a simple recipe if you'd like to make this dish at home. For now, I enjoy mom's cooking! Mongo Guisado is commonly served in Filipino restaurants as well.

A vegan version of this dish can be made but without the pork and fish sauce, this mung beans dish lose it's Asian flair and to me becomes a completely different dish.

Traditionally, Mongo Guisado is made with spinach and I've seen some Western versions using kale, but mom made this version using Bitter Melon leaves which I didn't know you could eat.

At one of our local farmer's markets, many of the vendors sell Asian produce and here is what Bitter Melon leaves look like stacked on a farmer's market table. I found a bundle that had a couple small melons on the leaves. See them? They look like lizard scaly pickles.

There are both health benefits and a few health precautions eating Bitter Melon leaves. Mom likes them because these leaves have health benefits for diabetics in helping to lower blood sugar. Bitter Melon leaves also have anti-cancer health benefits.

As far as taste goes, these leaves are bitter indeed. I'm indifferent about Bitter Melon leaves as they make a unique flavor twist on a dish, but the bitterness is definitely an acquired taste.

Have you tried Bitter Melon leaves? What's your experience, and what dish did you eat them in?